Ultrastructure Of Glycosaminoglycans In Arterial Intima After Changes Of Shear Stress

AIMTo investigate the ultrastructures of GAGs in arterial intima after changes of shearstress.METHODAbdominal aortas of rabbits fed with ordinary and high fat diets were stenosed to60.7%. Arteries were stained with Evans blue and ruthenium red and examined underelectron microscope. The cross area of ECM was measured in the electron micrographand the granules larger than 50nm or smaller than 20nm in diameter were counted, thenthe densities of both types of granules per square micrometer were got. The thicknessof the glycocalyx was measured at three points of each micrograph, and then the meanthickness of it was got.RESULTSOnly small granules were seen in normal control group. The density of smallgranules in the group was great more than those in normal diet group and high dietgroup(P＜0.01), the large granules were not seen; the densities of small granules in bluestained proximal and distal areas were less than those in white stained areas, both innormal diet and high fat diet groups (P＜0.01); large granules were hardly found inwhite areas proximal and distal to the stenosed areas of abdominal aortas of normal dietand high fat diet rabbits, while we could find large granules in blue areas; the thicknessof glycocalyx decreased after stenosis both in normal diet and high fat diet groups(P＜0.01).CONCLUSIONGlycocalyx become thinner after abdominal aortic stenosis of rabbits, viz. shearstress changed, constituents of GAGs are changed, the density of GAGs in the intima decreased.